MTU’s Power on the River

To understand why a rather ungainly looking vessel commonly called a “push boat” matters a great deal to MTU Detroit Diesel, you first have to appreciate The River and its role in American history and culture.

The River has been a silent witness to many of the nation’s milestone events. Washington crossed it. Lewis and Clark followed it. The Gold Rush began on it. But The River has done more than merely observe American history; it’s also consistently ignited the imaginations of old cynics and modern poets who make that history interesting for the rest of us. Without the Mississippi as his backdrop, Mark Twain may have been remembered as little more than an acerbic political pundit. With it, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are cultural icons. The truth is, The River is nothing less than the lifeblood of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

No wonder why Charles Kuralt said, “America is a great story, and there is a river on every page of it.” And on every river, there are push boats powered by diesel engines. Not all MTU engines, mind you. Yet.

Repowering Rules

There are actually about 10,000 push boats scattered over the roughly 12,000 miles of navigable inland waterways maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Although their overall size is dictated by the rivers they work, push boats almost invariably have minimal free- board and shallow draft, spartan, houseboat-like structures on deck, and in many cases, twin diesel engines with combined horsepower in the 1,000 to 4,000+ range. The boxy vessels look exactly like what they are: Sturdy workboats built for the sole purpose of pushing river barges up and downstream.

More modest push boats work smaller rivers and those with frequent locks and dams.

Most of these workhorses also share another defining characteristic: They’re old. “A lot of these boats were built between the ’50s and ’80s. They’ve been around a long time—just like me,” laughs Western Branch Diesel’s Mike Hock. Part commercial marine market manager, part river historian, Hock is a key player in MTU’s Brown Water Sales Initiative. Prior to that, though, Hock had a long stint at Detroit Diesel’s old marine division, where he spent a lot of time in and around push boats.

Detroit Diesel 2-Cycle engines once owned this market, but with the advent of emissions regulations and the engines introduced to cope with them in the late 1990s, push boat operators often turned to other engine suppliers. MTU plans to reverse that trend by targeting the industry with the Series 2000 and Series 4000 engines that have enjoyed great success in the “Blue Water” areas along the coast. Hock, who witnessed the decline of Detroit Diesel’s market share in the inland river work boat market, loves the idea.

“The vast majority of the push boat engine market is for repowers, since unlike ocean-going tugs, river push boats aren’t subject to the salt water that deteriorates steel hulls. Western Branch actually just received our first order to repower a push boat using Tier 2 Series 4000 engines, and the customer is very satisfied,” says Hock, who adds, “I think the 8V, 12V and 16V versions of the engine are going to be a great fit for the market. Once word gets up and down the river, so to speak, that MTU Detroit Diesel is back in the business, I think we’ll see a lot of new activity.”

Jeff Sherman, marine sales manager, agrees. “There are a lot of push boats out there still using our legacy Detroit Diesel 2-Cycle engines, and competitors have been getting their share of repowers, too. We are committed to growth in this market, and with the Series 4000 we have an engine that’s proven, reliable and durable out beyond 30,000 hours before overhaul. Western Branch’s first sale to repower a push boat is significant, and it’s only the beginning.” Sherman notes that prior to launching the new MTU emphasis on repowering inland river work boats, he and the rest of the MTU team worked closely with distributors, preparing them to support and inventory spare parts to accommodate new customers’ needs.

Timing Is Everything

If economic trends are any indicator, MTU is in the right place at the right time. As fuel costs continue to rise, using inland river barges to transport commodities ranging from grain to steel is increasingly appealing to manufacturers and distributors.

Large push boats like this one can be found on many sections of America’s great rivers, including the Mississippi.

According to a 2009 analysis by IHS Global Insights, river barge transportation rates are almost 54 percent lower than rail and nearly 95 percent lower than truck rates. A typical “tow” of river barges—which refers to the lineup of barges, not the “push” the work boat provides to that tow—consisting of fifteen barges carrying 1,500 tons each, gets the equivalent of 514 miles per gallon of diesel fuel, compared to 59 for on-highway trucks. River barges already move nearly 30 percent of the nation’s coal and 60 percent of the nation’s grain.

Statistics indicate that as the American economy improves, river barge shipping is increasing in popularity. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported, for example, that in Wisconsin-area Mississippi River locks and dams, 2009 cargo totals were up about 20 percent over 2008 levels.

“A Golden Opportunity”

“The great thing about a mature market is that you know exactly where it is,” notes Hock, who cites oil refineries, coal companies, asphalt manufacturers, steel and aluminum producers and grain plants as just some of the custom- ers who own or use push boats. In addition, private contractors all over the country supply push boat services to these industries and many more along America’s inland waterways, whether to move barges upriver and downriver or to maneuver those barges into place at their destinations.

Studies show that river barge transportation, often powered by push boats, is one of the most fuel-efficient ways to ship commodities.

Hock believes the market is a golden opportunity for distributors and customers to take advantage of MTU’s fuel efficient, low-emissions, tried-and- tested Series 4000 engine. “ I’ve been around this business a long time, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the Series 4000 stacks up very well against anything out there.”

Sounds like once again, The River will be witnessing history.